Odisha Capital Sizzles At 43°C, Second Highest Since 2016; Worse Awaits ‘Scorched’ Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The mercury shot past 40 degree Celsius in Odisha capital for the second consecutive day on Sunday.  Bhubaneswar recorded 40.2 degree Celsius by 11. 30 am and it rose to 43 degree Celsius by 2.30 pm, according to the regional meteorological centre here.

The city’s temperature had crossed 40 degree Celsius by 11 am and touched 41.2 degree Celsius by 2.30 pm on Saturday. The city had turned into a hot cauldron with the final temperature reading at 41.7 degree, the second-highest after Angul at 42.1 degree Celsius.

Notably, Bhubaneswar’s all-time highest temperature was recorded on April 11, 2016, at 45.8 degree Celsius.

Besides Bhubaneswar, five more places recorded 40 degree Celsius and above – Jharsuguda (41.4), Sambalpur (40.8), Chandbali (40.8) and Hirakud and Keonjhar at 40.

According to the MeT office, the entire coastal belt is witnessing a rise in maximum temperature due to weak coastal winds and lack of summer rains. “This condition will continue in the capital city and coastal districts till Monday, following which, the temperature may come down a few notches due to change in the wind pattern,” IMD’s Bhubaneswar centre director H R Biswas said.

Director of  Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC), SOA University, Sarat Chandra Sahu also attributed it to the weakening of sea winds.

Biswas, however, said that the temperature in interior areas will increase in a day and may cross 45 degree Celsius at several places in western Odisha.

Meanwhile, the weatherman has issued heatwave warning (yellow warning) for several districts during the next three days.

April 25

Sonepur, Boudh and Balangir

April 26

Sonepur, Boudh, Balangir and Mayurbhanj

April 27

Sonepur, Boudh, Balangir, Mayurbhanj and Kalahandi

Due to northwesterly-westerly dry air and high solar insolation, the daytime temperature is likely to gradually rise by 3 to 5 degree Celsius at many places in Interior Odisha during the next 2 days. It is expected to remain 2 to 4 degree Celsius above normal across all districts for two days and 3 to 5 degree Celsius above normal in interior Odisha during the subsequent 2 days, the MeT office added.